Round rammer



Oct. 12, 1965 P. H. DIXON ETAL.

ROUND HAMMER Filed April 18, 1950 Oct. l2, 1965 P` H. DIXON ETAL 3,211,058

ROUND HAMMER Filed April 1s, 195o s sheets-sheet 2 Oct. 12, 965 P, H. DIXON ETAL ROUND HAMMER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 18, 1950 lwuQm/fow P13111 H. Dixcln Mnynurd E Wullin lm H United States Patent O 3,211,058 ROUND RAMMER Paul H. Dixon and Maynard B. Wallin, Rockford, Ill., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Apr. 18, 1950, Ser. No. 156,574 6 Claims. (Cl. 89-33) This invention relates to automatic cannon-and more particularly to means for ramrning a round of ammunition into the breech of the cannon.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and novel rammer means for cannon having a cyclic rate of 500 rounds per minute.

Another object of the invention is a rammer means utilizing the counterrecoil motion of gun barrel and shuttle type bolt.

Another object of the invention is a round rammer means which permits a relatively short bolt travel with the result that the cannon is more adaptable to aircraft installation.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the cannon showing a round in ramrning position and a round being contacted by the shuttle bolt in counterrecoil, but with a portion of the barrel and feed mechanism omitted.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view particularly illustrating the normal, full recoil and round engaging positions of the lugs of the breech supported ramrning arms.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE l..

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan view showing the rammer arms assembled to the breech ring.

FIGURE 6 is an elevational View of one of the rammer arms'shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged plan view of one of the round supports.

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view of the round supports shown in FIGURE 7.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown particularly in FIGURE 1 a receiver 1 housing a buffer, generally indicated by 2, in its rear portion and in its forward portion the chamber end 3 of the barrel 4 having a bore 4a. The receiver is slotted as at 5 to releasably receive the feed mechanism housing 6. The breech ring 7 has formed in its top side a rack 8 in engagement with pinions 9 which are rotated by said rack during recoil and counterrecoil to wind the spring motor 9a of the feed mechanism. Projecting from the rearward face of the breech ring are diametrically yspaced lugs 10 and 11 supporting telescoping rails 12 and 13, respectively. The telescoping rails 12 and 13 slide in the slider rails 14 and 15 respectively, during recoil and counterrecoil movement of the breech ring. The slider rails are fixed to the interior surface of the receiver by any suitable means such as machine screws as indicated by the reference numeral 16. A shuttle type of bolt 17 is supported by the rails during recoil and counterrecoil movement of the bolt. Also fixed to the interior surface of the receiver adjacent and parallel t-o the longitudinal edges of slot 5 are round support members 18 and 19. Each of said round support members is provided with a finger, designated by reference numerals 20 and 21, for supporting the projectile of the round in ramming position. The fingers 20 and 21 have upstand-ing posts 22 and 23, respectively, located intermediate the ends of the ICC fingers. The round supports are each formed with a step, indicated by reference numerals 24 and 25 for supporting the rammer `arms fixed at one end in the vertical slots 28 and 29 of the breech ring. The free ends of the rammer arms have pivoted in slots 30a and 31a formed therein, spring loaded round engaging lugs 30 and 31, respectively. The top side of the arms are provided with cam surface, generally indicated by reference numeral 32, for actuating an indexing finger 33 during the recoil and counterrecoil movement of the arms. A round guide 34 affixed to the feed mechanism housing and positioned adjacent to the breech engages the projectile of the round and forces the round downwardly to align it With the chamber 3 during the ramrning operation.

When a round is fired the shuttle bolt is disengaged from the breech and is driven rearwardly by the force of recoil toward the buffer. At the same time the breech is also recoiling and carrying the rammer arms toward the buffer and placing the pivoted round engaging lugs rearwardly of the base of the round placed in ramrning position by the feed mechanism. The telescoping rails are also carried rearwardly by the recoiling breech and slide within the slide rails, both of which carry the shuttle bolt during recoil and counterrecoil. The bolt recoils further than the pivoted lug supporting ends of the rammer arms, engages the buffer and starts in counterrecoil movement. In the meantime the breech has ystarted in counterrecoil, the lugs of the rammer arms have engaged the base of the round and the round started toward the breech ahead of the counterrecoiling bolt. As the round is driven towards the breech by the counterrecoiling rammer arms, the nose of the round engages the round guide 34 and the round is then forced downwardly and towards the breech. During this action the base of the round slides along the inclined surfaces 24a and 25a of the round supports and the cartridge case of the round engages the post 22 and 23, causing the fingers 20 and 21 to recede and permit the round to drop below the round supports. When the round has traveled about one half the ramrning distance, the counterrecoiling bolt overtakes the round and completes the ramming operation. vThe round is almost in line with the bore as the force of the counterrecoiling bolt is applied, so there are no critical off center forces encountered by the bolt. The lugs on the rammer arms are spring loaded so that when a round has been fed into ramrning position, see FIGURE 3, they are pivoted out of the way in the slots 30a and 31a by the cartridge case of the round. With reference to FIGURE 2 the maximum recoil, round engaging and normal positions of the lug bearing ends of the rammer arms 26 and 27 are indicated by the reference numerals 40, 41 and 42, respectively.

We claim:

1. In an automatic cannon employing belted rounds of ammunition and having a breech ring and shuttle type bolt independently reciprocable in the receiver of said cannon, rammer means comprising said shuttle type bolt and spaced parallel round engaging arms, each of said arms having an end fixed in said breech ring and reciprocable therewith, the rearward ends of said arms each provided with a spring loaded detent engaging upon counterrecoil of said breech ring a round positioned in said receiver, said detent disengaging said round at a point intermediate the ramming distance, said bolt in counterrecoil movement overcoming said detents rand engaging said round to complete the ramrning of said round.

2. In an automatic cannon employing belted rounds of ammunition and having a breech ring and shuttle type bolt independently reciprocable in the receiver of said cannon, round ramrning means within said receiver comprising longitudinal round support members affixed to opposite interior surfaces of said receiver adjacent said breech ring and extending longitudinally of said receiver, each of said members having pivoted in its forward end a horizontal inger supporting the projectile of the round, each of said fingers having an upstanding post engageable by said round during its forward movement to cause said iingers to recede and allow the round to become substantially aligned with the bore of said cannon, longitudinal steps formed in each of said members supporting a slidable relationship with the rammer arms having their forward ends in fixed relationship to said breech ring, the rearward ends of said arms arranged to engage upon counterrecoil of said breech ring the base of a round on said members, said rearward ends disengaging said round `at a point intermediate the ramming distance, said bolt in counterrecoil movement engaging said round beyond said point to complete the ramming of said round.

3. In an automatic cannon having ya breech ring and a shuttle type bolt independently reciprocable in the receiver, a round ramming mechanism comprising rammer arms within said receiver aixed at one end thereof to said breech ring for movement therewith during recoil and counterrecoil, each of said rammer yarms including spring-loaded, round-engaging ylugs at the other end thereof for engagement with the round during a portion of the counterrecoil only, said shuttle type bolt overtaking said ra-mmer arms and engaging said round during the other portion of the counterrecoil, whereby said round is rammed into position successively by s-aid rammer arms and said rshuttle type bolt.

4. In an automa-tic cannon having a breech ring and a shuttle type bolt independently reciprocable in the receiver, a round ramming mechanism comprising a pair of rammer arms within said receiver aiiixed at one end thereof to said breech :ring for movement therewith during recoil and counterrecoil, each of said rammer arms including spring-loaded, round-engaging lugs at the other end thereof for engaegment with the round during one portion only of the counterrecoil, said shuttle type bolt recoiling beyond said round engaging lugs and overtaking said round engaging lugs during the other portion of the counterrecoil for engagement with said round whereby said round is rammed into position successively by said rammer arms and said shuttle type bolt.

5. In an automatic cannon having a breech ring and a shuttle type bolt independently reciprocable in the receiver, a round ramming mechanism including a pair of rammer arms within said receiver affixed at one end thereof to said breech ring for movement therewith during recoil and counterrecoil, each of said rammer arms including spring loaded, round-engaging lugs at the other end thereof for engagement with the round during only one portion of the counterrecoil, means carried rearwardly by said breech ring during counterrecoil for slidably supporting said shuttle type bolt during recoil beyond lsaid lugs, round supporting means intermediate said rammer arms and said first-mentioned means normally preventing passage therethrough of a round, said shuttle type bolt overtaking said round engaging lugs during the other portion of the counterrecoil for completion of the ramming operation, said round supporting means including round-engaging fingers rendering said round supporting means inoperative upon substantial completion of the ramming operation during said one portion.

6. In an automatic cannon employing belted rounds of ammunition and having a breech ring and a shuttle type bolt independently reciprocable in the receiver of said cannon, rammer means afxed to said breech ring and reciprocable itherewith upon recoil and counterrecoil of said breech ring, said rammer means comprising spaced parallel `arms having their forward ends fixed in said breech ring, and their rearward ends slotted, each of said rearward ends having a spring loaded detent pivoted in the walls of said slot, each of said detents being forced inwardly into said slots by the round in ramming posiition, said detents moving out of said slots upon recoil movement of said arms and engaging the base of the round upon counterrecoil movement of said arms, said rearward ends disengaging said round at a point intermediate the ramming distance, and said bolt in counterrecoil movement engaging said round after said disengagement fto complete the ramming of said round.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 398,081 9/33 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL BOYD, JAMES L. BREWRINK, Examiners. 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC CANNON EMPLYING BELTED ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION AND HAVING A BREECH RING AND SHUTTLE TYPE BOLT INDEPENDENTLY RECIPROCABLE IN THE RECEIVER OF SAID CANNON, RAMMER MEANS COMPRISING SAID SHUTTLE TYPE BOLT AND SPACED PARALLEL ROUND ENGAGING ARMS, EACH OF SAID ARMS HAVING AN END FIXED IN SAID BREECH RING AND RECIPROCABLE THERWTIH, THE REARWARD ENDS OF SAID ARMS EACH PROVIDED WITH A SPRING LOADED DETENT ENGAGING UPON COUNTERRECOIL OF SAID BREECH RING A ROUND POSITIONED IN SAID RECEIVER, SAID DETENT DISENGAGING SAID ROUND AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE RAMMING DISTANCE, SAID BOLT IN COUNTERRECOIL MOVEMENT OVERCOMMING SAID DETENTS AND ENGAGING SAID ROUND TO COMPLETE THE RAMMING OF SAID ROUND. 